Spaghetti All’Arrabiata

by jenna on August 23, 2013

I ate a LOT of pasta in Ethiopia.

Why, you ask? When I was there, I learned that the Italians actually occupied Ethiopia for a time in the late 1930’s and though it was brief, it definitely left a strong cultural mark on the country…aka really great pasta and pizza. This summer I’ve gotten the privilege to do a bunch of traveling and I have to say, the two best pasta dishes that I’ve had in a looooong time were found in Switzerland and Ethiopia.

We ate our last lunch in Ethiopia at a hotel {not our hotel} and I ordered the spaghetti all’arrabiata, a spicy red sauce made solely from tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and chili peppers. Now y’all know how much I love my spicy food and this pasta did not disappoint. It was all I could do not to practically lick my plate clean! When I got home last week, remaking it was one of the first things on my list.

This pasta is cheap, fast and delicious. If you like spice, you’re in the right place!

And when I say fast, I mean fast! The dish came together in literally less than 20 minutes, start to finish. It’s the perfect fast weeknight meal when you feel like you have nothing in your kitchen!

Next time I’m going to add some sauteed shrimp to this pasta, or maybe some calamari rings. It’s great on it’s own though — don’t forget a thick slice of garlic bread on the side! Ahhh, comfort food at it’s finest.

Hope y’all have a great weekend! We are off to Austin today to visit with our best friends who just had a baby. I can’t wait to meet my new little godson and soak up some of that heat you southerners have been having lately. It will be a nice change of pace from foggy, cold San Francisco.

Place the whole peeled plum tomatoes in a blender and process until smooth.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. When hot, add the garlic. Saute 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Saute 2 minutes then pour in the plum tomatoes. Mix well until everything has combined. Add sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add cooked spaghetti to sauce and toss to coat. Add a big glug of olive oil and any other seasonings to taste. Serve immediately.

I never knew that the Italians had cultural influence on Ethiopa’s food but I’d say that’s a pretty awesome thing. I love Italian food and this pasta looks so simple and satisfying.
Have a safe trip to Austin! It’s my favorite city in Texas. (Shhh…don’t tell College Station.)

Funny you mention Arrabbiata because I just recently discovered a jarred version (first time I had heard of that variety), loved it, and went back to another store yesterday, only to find it unavailable at that particular store. I was thoroughly disappointed in not being able to buy it. I can recommend Mezzetta Napa Valley Bistro “All Natural” Arrabbiata sauce. The good thing about it is that it really IS all natural – it contains only the same ingredients you would use if you made it at home (minus tomato paste, which is hit or miss in sauce recipes anyway, depending on the quality of the product.) No corn syrup, no sugar, no weird fillers or dried ingredients. Some might balk at jarred sauce, but considering your recipe uses canned ingredients, I think it’s an acceptable (and even easier!) substitute.

Add some hot Italian sausage, and you have one delicious – and hot! – dish.

LOVE this! I am so in love with spicy food and so is my hubby! This will make a great date night dinner. We try to have date nights every other week or so, but can’t always go to a fancy meal; too expensive and not enough time. This will be a great, affordable date night meal! Thanks for the idea!